More than 18,000 first-graders will start their first school year in Ashgabat. This was reported by IIC Turkmenistan.

In Turkmenistan, first-graders are traditionally presented with laptops on behalf of the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov. The authorities emphasise their focus on developing the education system and supporting young people.

On 1 September, schoolchildren in Turkmenistan and other Central Asian countries will start classes, while in Japan, the school year begins in spring, and in Australia, in January.

The history of education is full of interesting facts: in Russia, children used to write on birch bark, in Bangladesh there are still ‘boat schools,’ and in some countries, instead of bells, melodies or birdsong are used to signal the start of lessons.